Pliable bottle carrier



Sept. 9, 1947.

A. HOULE 2,427,105

PLIABLE BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 18, 1946 Patented Sept. 9, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca I rmnnsiig'i'wa oaaama V Albany Houle, Louiseville, Quebec, Canada 8 Claims. (01. 294-87) pplication May 18,

In C

The present invention pertains to a novel bottle carrier made of suitable sheet material such as cardboard, leather, fabric, or synthetic material. The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple means for carrying a number of bottles by a device held in one hand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described consisting of a sheet of pliable material folded in a unique manner so that, when not in use or when carried emptied, it takes a, flat shape resembling an envelope or a brief case. A further object of the invention is to provide such a device that is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction and very durable.

These objects are accomplished by providing a sheet of suitable material of proper size and rectangular form and folding it across three parallel lines forming four substantially equal plies. The end plies are disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies and are apertured to receive the bottle necks. They are also bent across the openings in order to reduce the original width of the latter and thereby bind against an inserted bottle.

A cord is threaded transversely through the plies and in alternating or zig zag fashion. The intermediate portion of the cord crosses the plies externally and is loose so that it serves as a handle. The tension on the cord resulting from the weight of the loaded carrier holds the plies close together except for the outwardly extending parts of the angularly folded end or outer plies. Thus, the angular shape of the latter plies is maintained together with the restriction of the openings to exert a binding effect of the inserted bottles and prevent them from droppin out.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the devicein collapsed condition;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the device in operative position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the invention;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the device; and

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a number of units with bottles contained in a case.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to des- 2 folded in half along the line 2 to form two identical plies, and each ply is again folded outwardly along a medial line parallel to the line 2, as indicated by the numeral 1 in Figures 1 and 3. In this condition the sheet has four plies or a quadruple thickness. The outer plies I at the ends of the original sheet are in the nature of wings or flaps and are formed with openings 8 of generally oval shape and of a size to receive the upper ends of bottles. The bottles 8 are inserted by their necks 1 into the openings 6 and are retained therein by the shortening of the major axis of each opening 8 when the wing 5 bends at 8 transversely of the openings as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

In order to hold the upper portions of the wings 5 close to the piles 4 to maintain the folds 8, a notch Ill is cut through three of the four plies a short distance below the upper folds 3. A cord I is inserted in the notch, extending partially along the outer surface of the notched wing 5 and along the inner surface of the wing 5 that is not notched. A similar notch is formed at the opposite edge of the device but from the opposite surface thereof, so that one of the wings 5 is notched at one end and the other wing inotched at the other end. Each wing 5 is fitted with an eyelet Ill in the unnotched portion thereof adjacent to a notch I0. Each wing 5 is also fitted with a pair of spaced eyelets II at the level of the eyelets l0 and at equal distances from the transverse center line. The threading of the cord l I is illustrated in Figure 4. The cord is passed through one of the eyelets I0 and the adjacent notch and is knotted at I! on the outer side of the eyelet Hi. It is then passed along the outer surface of the opposite wing 5 to the nearer eyelet l3 and then through the transversely alined eyelets l3 and apertures l5 formed in the intermediate plies 4. The cord is then carried over the folds 3 at a distance beyond the same in the nature of a handle H. The threading is then continued through the remaining eyelets I3, along the outer surface of the wings 5 where the cord emerges, and finally through the remaining notch l0 and eyelet l0, where the remaining extremity of the cord is knotted.

The arrows in Figure 4 illustrate the tension on the cord when the loaded device is suspended by the handle ll. The tension maintains the wings 5 in close relation to the plies 4 above the folds 9, thus maintaining each wing 5 in an aneular condition when the wings are bent outwardly on the folds I. The size of the openings 6 is thus restricted to prevent the beaded necks I of the bottles I from slipping out.

There are preferably three openings in each wing i so that a given unit carries six bottles. In Figure 5, four units are inserted in the case ii of a size adapted to carry two dozen bottles already assembled in the carrying units. The case may be of standard dimensions with the usual partitions removed and is thus capable of containing two dozen bottles in the carriers since the latter maintains substantially the same spacing between bottles as do the usual partitions in a case.

When not in use. or before being loaded, the carrier is vertically collapsed to the condition shown in Figure 1 and is carried by the handle I in the manner of a briefcase.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

' What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, and a cord passed through said piles and having its intermediate portion looped to form a handle.

2. A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, the end plies being folded intermediate their edges and across said openings to provide terminal portions thereof extending angularly outward from the remaining portions thereof, and a cord passed through said remaining portion and the intermediate piles and having its intermediate portion looped to form a handle.

3.- A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, and a cord threaded transversely to said plies in alternating directions and having its ends anchored against the outer surfaces of the respective end plies, the intermediate portion of said cord being loose to provide a handle.

4. A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, and a cord threaded transversely to said plies in alternating directions and having its ends anchored against the outer surfaces of the respective end plies, the intermediate portion of said cord traversing said plies externally and being loose to provide a handle.

5, A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, the end plies being folded intermediate their edges and across said openings to provide terminal portions thereof extending angularly outward from the remaining portions thereof, and a cord passed through said remaining portions and the intermediate plies in alternating directions and having its ends anchored against the outer surfaces of the respective end plies, the intermediate portion of said cord being loose to provide a handle.

6. A bottle carrier comprising a pliable sheet folded along three parallel lines to form four plies, the end plies being disposed outwardly of the intermediate plies, said end plies being formed with openings to receive bottle necks, the end plies being folded intermediate their edges and across said openings to provide terminal portions thereof extending angularly outward from the remaining portions thereof, and a cord passed through said remaining portions and the intermediate plies in alternating directions and having its ends anchored against the outer surfaces of the respective end plies, the intermediate portion of said cord traversing said plies externally and being loose to provide a handle.

ALBANY HOULE. 

